Aluminum-base alloys have been designed to achieve improved intermediate temperature (ambient to about 316.degree. C.) and high temperature (above about 316.degree. C.) for specialty applications such as aircraft components. Properties critical to improved alloy performance include density, modulus, tensile strength, ductility, creep resistance and corrosion resistance. To achieve improved properties at intermediate and high temperatures, aluminum-base alloys, have been created by rapid solidification, strengthened by composite particles or whiskers and formed by mechanical alloying. These methods of forming lightweight elevated temperature alloys have produced products with impressive properties. However, manufacturers, especially manufacturers of turbine engines, are constantly demanding increased physical properties wtih decreased density and increased modulus at increased temperatures. Specific modulus of an alloy directly compares modulus in relation to density. A high modulus in combination with a low density produces a high specific modulus.
Examples of aluminum-base rapid solidification alloys are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,743,317 ('317) and 4,379,719 ('719). Generally, the problems with rapid solidification alloys include limited liquid solubility, increased density and limited mechanical properties. For example, the rapid solidification Al-Fe-X alloys of the '317 and '719 patents have increased density arising from the iron and other relatively high density elements. Furthermore, Al-Fe-X alloys have less than desired mechanical properties and coarsening problems.
An example of a mechanical alloyed composite stiffened alloy was disclosed by Jatkar et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,893. The MA aluminum-base structure of Jatkar et al. produced a product with superior properties to the Al-Fe-X rapid solidification alloys. However, an increased level of skill is required to produce such composite materials and a further increase in alloy performance would result in substantial benefit to turbine engines.
A combination rapid solidification and MA aluminum-titanium alloy, having 4-6% Ti, 1-2% C and 0.1-0.2% O, is disclosed by Frazier et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,942. For purposes of the present specification, all component percentages are expressed in weight percent unless specifically expressed otherwise. The alloy of Frazier et al. has lower than desired physical properties at high temperatures. Previous MA Al-Ti alloys have been limited to a maximum practical engineering operating temperature of about 316.degree. C.
It is an object of this invention to provide an aluminum-base alloy that facilitates simplified alloy formation as compared to aluminum-base alloys produced using rapid solidification.
It is a further object of this invention to produce an aluminum-base MA alloy having improved high temperature properties, increased upper temperature limits, and an increased specific modulus.